Former Falcons skipper Dean Ryan today gave his old club a massive psychological boost in their battle to avoid relegation from the Zurich Premiership.

Former Falcons skipper Dean Ryan today gave his old club a massive psychological boost in their battle to avoid relegation from the Zurich Premiership.

With three matches remaining, Newcastle need to win at least their next two home games against Northampton and fellow-strugglers Saracens but Ryan, who is now Gloucester's forwards coach, is confident they can do it.

After seeing the Falcons come within a whisker of causing the major shock of the Premiership season, Ryan said: "That side is not the Newcastle side that spent five months struggling at the bottom of the table. They have got some experienced heads in key positions and the Newcastle side at the moment is very, very competitive, as they showed against us.

"Mark Andrews makes their lineout secure and is a real power round the ruck area, while Mark Mayerhofler gives Jonny (Wilkinson) an extra weapon in midfield.

"Our guys were run off their feet and I only hope the game didn't destroy Newcastle mentally.

"I believe they are the best of the bottom teams and that they can win their next two games."

Newcastle, meanwhile, are sweating on the fitness of Andrews, who is having a scan today on a suspected broken rib.

"I am not sure how bad it is," said Andrews. "I may have broken a rib or popped a cartilage.

"I broke a rib in the quarter-finals of the 1995 World Cup and played with a pain-killing injection, but you're not allowed to do that now.

"It's hard to say if it would only be a couple of weeks out or what, but you can't really do much with a damaged rib but wait and see."

Aside from Andrews' injury, Newcastle boss Rob Andrew has the worry about the sending off of his other front-line lock Stuart Grimes for alleged head-butting.

Andrew wouldn't be drawn on the incident other than to say: "I would be extremely surprised if Grimesy had head-butted anyone in his life."

Newcastle will look at a match video of the incident and, although it is not known yet when the hearing will be, it is not likely to be until next week, leaving Grimes available for the Northampton game on Sunday.